Xsolla Blog

When it comes to the Video Game market, digital transition has been one of the most far reaching changes in the Game Industry; affecting how games are played, designed, bought and sold for all areas of the industry.

And while there are still some areas that have to be figured out, the digital market has been a boon to the Game Industry.

June 12th marks the last day for E3 2014 and there was a lot of news and reveals this year. The big players: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft showcased their plans for the coming year with the return of old and new franchises. And Xsolla was there to take pictures and talk to developers.

Today's post highlights some of the highs and lows from the conference, including the recent controversy from Ubisoft.

Over 1 million copies of FEZ, a puzzle/platform game developed by independent software developers Polytron Corporation, were sold. The game was first launched for Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade) in April 2012, and a year later became available on Steam. By that time, the developer of the game, Phil Fish, starred in movie and announced FEZ 2. We look into the success of the game and evaluate the potential of direct sales from the developer’s website.

Phil Fish, along with Ian Bogost and Jonathan Blow, is one of the leaders in the indie games industry. FEZ was first announced to the world in 2007. Its interactive demo version was presented at Independent Games Festival a year later, in 2008. And after that — nothing. Polytron, lost its funding and encountered legal problems, mainly due to Fish’s business partner leaving the company and threatening legal action. Fish also encountered personal and family problems.